The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-06-01
THE RUssr,A An iTnRAirY..;: !:
WIN the American Government Agree, 10
Surrender Political Criminals Z " Z

WASHINGTON, May. sl.-Russian papers
just received make plain the Russian Gov.
ernment's hope concerning the pending
extradltlon treaty with the United stotes,
and throw new and straight light on the
Russian purpose. The Moro ;Ertmya, Of
St. Petersburg, In an article on the treaty,
says: eThe Russo.American extradition
treaty 10 not yet published, as It is not vet
approved by the Senate Of the United
States. However, nobody in our Govern.
ment doubts that the Senate Of the great
transatlantic Republic will accept TO any
change, and that the United States will
give the civilized world the first instance
Of q just and correct discrimination be.
tween political crimes and ordinary capi.
tai crimes committed under the disguise
Of political struggle" III, 5,.il
The Russian press, which Is under pres.
eure OF the imperial censure, by this vel.
come oi the Russian. American e1tradition
treaty which Russia considers Of the great.
eet Importance iB this: That the United
States Government shall declare that the
Nihilist movement in Russia has no DO.
liical meaning at all, and that any revo.
lution which should endanger the Cars
lite-even war for constitutional govern.
ment-shall be declared in advance by
the American Republic, 20 far as treaty
can declare 1t, simply plot to commit
murder. This is concession, as we'll as q
confession, which the Russian govern.
ment has not yet got from any power ex.
Copt Germany and Austria. No other
country has formally agreed 10 surrender
Russian political criminals. Yet, in effect,
some others have yielded to Russian in.
luence. In 1878 NetchaeE, q political
criminal, was arrested by Russian detec.
tives In Switzerland and taken back TO
Russia, and the Swiss government found
It useless to protest against the act. A
few years since Leo Hartmann was ar.
rested in France, and though the French
government refused 10 extradite him be.
cause the Russian government failed to
produce sufficient proof OF his guilt, stitt
hewas peremptorily expelled from France.
And since then Russian suspected OF be.
ing connected with Nihilists have usually
been expelled from France.
Recently the Russian Government tried
it's utmost in influencing England to deny
the right OF asylum to Russian political
criminals, ba. the British Government re-.
mained true to its traditional idea of asy.
lum. Article vi. Of the treaty concluded
between Russia and England February 2,
1887, runs as follows: "a criminal is not
TO be extradited If the crime for which his
extradition Is demanded Is political one,
or II he shall prove that his extradition is
demanded with view TO prosecute or
punish him for a crime Of political ma.
ture."
The Russian.American treaty also ex-
cludes the extradition for political crimes
(Article 81, but the following exception
makes this article null and void: "Mur.
der or msnslaughter, comprising the viii
fnl or negligent killing Of the sovereign or
chief magistrate oil the state, or of any
member OF his family, as we'll as an at.
tempt to commit or participate in said
crimes, shall not be considered an ofFenRe
oi political character"
There is radical difference between
the English-Russian treaty and the Rus.
sian-American treaty. Russis's purpose
in her diplomatic negotiations is to COM
nit every power TO aid her in suppressing
her own always-threatening internal
troubles in this way. Austria and Ger
many, which have similar danger OF rev.
olution, but more remote, have thus com.
mitted themselves. Switzerland and
France have never done 60, but have been
forced to recognize the doctrine they for
mally disclsim. England datly refused to
ratiiy such treaty.
The whole question about the Ameri.
can.Russia treaty is: Will the United
States follow the example OF Germany
and Austria or the example OF England?
viii the American right Of asylum be de.
MED? The treaty will go into effect il it
is ratified by the Senate Of the United
States.